How Can Law Inspire Hope for an Inclusive Anthropocene?

Living in the present and future anthropocene requires a revitalisation and rethinking of human-nature relationships throughout society. In the domains of law and governance, there is an increased attention to ecological jurisprudence, which recognizes humans as one part of a wider community of beings on planet earth, whose well-beings are interconnected with other members of this community. An increasingly popular concept adjacent to this school of thought is the Rights of Nature, which seeks to promote the rights of nonhuman life. In the last decades, significant developments have taken place to promote public participation and participatory rights in environmental matters. Civil society, including environmental defenders and stewards as well as members of the public at large, participating in decision-making and judicial processes, and lawmakers and law practitioners are some of the most notable human agents in law and governance systems.

At this event we explore possible ways to promote and rethink human-nature relationships, and the impact of law for this development. How would the emergence of ecological jurisprudence aid in imagining and achieving a common future in the anthropocene? How far does expanded participatory rights take us? Are there alternative legal concepts and approaches that could lead to the same result? How do we make sense and use human agency in law and governance systems? What are some hopeful and cautionary stories in Sweden and around the world? What are key considerations to co-hoping in the anthropocene, with laws and regulations as tools for an inclusive future?

Speakers

• Craig Kauffman, University of Oregon, Initiator of Eco Jurisprudence Monitor
• Yaffa Epstein, Department of Law, Uppsala University
• Jonas Ebbesson, Stockholm University, Director of the Stockholm Environmental Law and Policy Centre

Commentators

• Brita Bohman, Department of Law, Stockholm University
• Pella Thiel, Former Chair of End Ecocide Sweden, co-founder Rights of Nature Sweden
• Ida Edling, Spokesperson and Legal and Scientific Coordinator, Aurora

Moderator

Dianty Ningrum, The Anthropcoene Laboratory and Stockholm Resilience Centre

This seminar was co-organised by the Anthropocene Laboratory at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Stockholm Environmental Law and Policy Centre at Stockholm University.